"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Monday 27 August 2012

Against The Law ???

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Closed Meetings": 
To Anonymous 4:46pm August 24....
"She is surely guilty of various crimes and misdemeanors as she threatened our staff with her monstrous statement "If you work for the town, you work for me. Be careful who you choose as friends."
I have said this many times before. If you truly believe what you stated here, why don't YOU go to York Regional Police HQ and request an investigation into the criminal acts? 

All of the court nonsense going on now (both Morris and Buck as plaintiffs) is all civil stuff, there are no charges levied and the results will not be jail sentences but "Damages" which equal cash. 
If you really think something illegal went down, press charges!

***********************

The comment  is a quote. I read it as an expression of righteous anger. Canadians have that right.
Bad things happened to employees during the last term of office. Compensation  for lost employment was no small part of  the expense  to the municipality. .
But money wasn't the greatest loss.
Many benefits are derived from municipal employment   There are also disadvantages. 
A job ended, through no fault of the employee, means theoption for new employment is  another municipality or a different level of government.
It calls for a record of employment.
Politicians tend to be skittish. 
An employee,taking legal action against a municipal  employer, does not have a future in municipal government. .
Stuff like that tends to be noticed.
Generous settlements are  generally accepted  with  silent  departure amenable to all parties.
Legal action would be a last resort seldom resorted.
A law on the books is  not worth two in the bushes. 
*******.
Continuing dialogue:

"How does one determine if something qualifies for the G. Book of Records? Most people know about the 3 large lawsuits involving Morris & Company. If you add in all the suits against perceived enemies, former staff, the Region and other assorted victims, the number is quite amazing. It could be a cautionary tale to small towns who find themselves with such an individual in charge of litigation"

The last sentence  is telling.

Small towns do not "find themselves with such an individual in charge of litigation"
A small town is  highly unlikely to have  such an individual in office. Word tends to get around because it doesn't have so far to travel. .
Secondly, no single elected member has that authority in any municipality. . 
Both  the Code of Conduct and a policy statement deal with the subject. 
As well, a  majority of Council is far less likely to be elected in a slate.What kind of a perfidious notion is that in the context of democracy?
People in small communities are not so easily diverted from reality.
Lastly, no town  large or small, outside Aurora, allows a Mayor or any other member of Council unlimited access or communication with outside legal services.
It's insane. 
Our experience during the last  term  is all one needs to understand why.
********
Continuing  the discussion:

"7:00 PM Please do not forget to include on your list Ms. Walmer & Associates. Do not let her get the keys to the town hall with another candidate."

Ms. Walmer's group  flourishes still.  One need look no further than the Culture Centre , the Farmer's Market and the Jazz Cabal.
Coupled with ingratiating strategy  from current Councillors without enough  wit to come in out of the cold,while they try to  win over this bunch,  the community  continues to be insulted and denigrated.
On Saturday, three members of Council and  Theresa Buck
manned a booth for a fund-raising corn roast  at the Farmer's Market.
Two days before, Councillor Humphreys was informed organisation  was her job.
On the day, the event was relegated to an out of the way  location.
Jan  the Jam Lady chair of the market, friend of  culture centre and jazz cabal but not Council, failed to announce the event.
Market patrons had to discover it for themselves.
It seems Humphrey  was  being punished by Jam Lady for failing to acquiesce with market intent not to allow anyone other than  protegees of Mr  Bob Leonard, other half of Susan Morton-Leonard, to use  the town's band shell free of  charge.. 
Mr. Leonard, I am told  has a music school in another municipality.
The final occupied  post of the  enemy,  is Church Street School .
A  recent announcement  by  town staff  offers opportunity for input  about the future of  the museum collection. 
How should it be accommodated?
In one location? 
Or broken up and scattered about? 
Any place but Church Street School. 
How hard could  it be to stack the joint with culture fiends in favor of preserving the status quo?
Wherein lay the genius for that idea?


    
 
 

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whoever sent that comment must live in Outer Space. A bullied staffer cannot call the police for help, especially when there are an entire group of bullies on the job. I arrived in this mess late but I do know we lost good, experienced staff who knew the history of Aurora and were valuable assets. And I have only heard of two individuals who called the police - Morris, repeatedly over imagined threats including one on her own controlled website about an elephant attack and St. Kitts because someone told her that she was not a nice person. THAT was the real Aurora. No one could have saved the staffers. Get real.

Anonymous said...

Aurora has elephant attacks?

Anonymous said...

First of all, who said that the original quote was from a staffer. My contention that the poster should contact YRP was out of the frustration that I feel when I see people write that PM did something illegal. If that person feels that an illegal activity has occured, they can contact YRP to investigate. Whether YRP feels that there is sufficient evidence to do so is another matter.

But please, stop saying she did something illegal. The council of the day (whether you like it or not) gave their approval as well.

Get off your soapbox and get dirty.

"If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem."

Anonymous said...

Apart from being members of the tax-paying public, what exactly do Susan Walmer and Jan Freedman have to do with the "Culture (sic) Centre" (you'll get it right one of these days)?

Tim the Enchanter said...

When is the current council going to do something substantial?

Are we to engage in endless gossip about the past regime or is council actually going to do something about closing the apparent loopholes at Town Hall?

Here's three to start with.
Three "mistakes" that have cost, and continue to cost, us hundreds of thousands of taxpayers dollars.

The lawsuit(s).
Where's the bylaw amendment to ensure that all members of council must be present for a vote on legal action?

The cultural centre contract.
Where's the bylaw amendment that a clerk's signature is not an acceptable substitute for the town solicitor's signature?

The traffic calming debacle.
Where's the bylaw regarding neighbourhood initiative projects?

There's much that can be done - and no - we don't have to wait for the current lawsuits to be settled.

Yes, it looks there are three holdovers from the last regime but that still leaves a majority of six.

There's no excuse - no reason to wait so why not get on with it?
Every four years we get lectured on the importance of voting.
Well?
We voted.
So how about it?
Please don't tell me that all I can expect in return for performing my civic duty is green trucks.

Seriously.
Green trucks was actually on someone's list of priorities?

Maybe green trucks are important to someone but as a taxpayer I'd probably feel better knowing that steps have been taken to ensure my own civic government can't hold a midnight star chamber meeting and decide to sue me - just because they can.

Anonymous said...

We seem to have old Grouchy/snarky back in 1:09 Pm & 1:06 Pm. double-posting in its usual fury. As to the legality of morris' activities, that is still before the courts. If she did nothing wrong, it does strike a casual observer as odd that she is still involved in 3, count 'em, lawsuits. In the defamation case, the Judge was quite clear. Morris did not have a case. So her lawsuit was wrong. All that's left of that one is the decision of what it is going to cost her lot.
Can't comment on Evelyn's case - don't have a clue what stage that one has reached.
But the Conflict of Interest case is still being heard. And it will be determined if Morris goofed again.
Council gave their ' approval ' ? Yup. They filed identical statements and one actually admitted later NOT knowing what had been approved.
If the Courts are still working things out, get off our case if we try to do likewise.

Anonymous said...


"Illegal" can refer to a breach of the criminal law or a breach of the civil law.

I would propose that it is the latter that is at issue.

Morris sued three Aurora residents for an alleged breach of a civil law, namely that she was defamed by them.

The judge hearing the Norwich Motion in March of last year decided that there had been no defamation and within three months Morris discontinued her defamation action. She quit!

Did she ever say why? Of course not. She just throws the dirt and when it comes back to hit her in the face she simply takes the ball and goes home. She doesn't have the decency to explain to the public or apologize to the defendants. This demonstrates the corrupt shallowness of her character.

To December 15, 2010, her legal bills, paid by Aurora taxpayers, totalled over $55,000. What her ongoing legal bills are no one knows, nor do we know whether she is paying these personally or under some insurance policy. Based on time and legal documentation it could well be that these amount to an additional $100,000 or more.

On the same basis it would not surprise if the legal bills for the defendants exceed $100,000.

And instead of paying up to the defendants for their documented legal bills, some $38,000, she has forced them to appear before a Master of the Court to argue for what is rightfully theirs, at additional cost.

She has admitted in the witch-hunt against Tim Jones that she did not intend to spend a cent of her own money on any legal costs that might arise.

It would not surprise me if she had made a similar statement concerning the defamation action, and so we all paid.

Unfortunately we are all still a bit dirty in Aurora. What happened and what is still ongoing, three lawsuits, all with one common element, will take considerable time to wash away.

As for the "council of the day...gave their approval as well." Buck and Collins-Mrakas were not present, McRoberts retracted his vote at the first possible moment, Gallo and Granger later said that if they had known a lawsuit would result they would have asked for more information. This is hardly the unanimous and unquestioning vote that is recorded, said unanimity requiring Morris to vote in favour, which she obviously did.

Anonymous said...

1:06 PM Do you not find it exhausting to load around all that anger & jealousy? Whenever Evelyn has a good run of posts & comments, you stomp in with your work boots & try to destroy the Blog. Won't work.

Anonymous said...

It was Ms Walmer's turn on the roster to escort Morris to court in Newmarket. Not sure if they draw straws. Or why she travels in a secure little bubble of acolytes. Is she worried about rampaging elephants? The compulsive hand-shaking would appear to be diminishing.

Anonymous said...

Right-oh, Tim. The problem is getting this across to Council. Contrary to accusations, people posting to this Blog dod not use threats or intimidation. We are probably ' way too timid - won't even tackle a fence. As you say, we voted for a Council to clean up the mess. Still waiting on that one but we do try.

Anonymous said...

"1:09 Pm & 1:06 Pm. double-posting in its usual fury"

FYI: Two different people (if it really matters).

Anonymous said...

1:06-9 PM
Are you suggesting that someone accuse Morris or more wrong-doing, go to YRP to complain about further incidents? Please. Think about that for a minute. She has lost a defamation law-suit and is now defending one of her own and a conflict-of-interest lawsuit. Are you seriously suggesting MORE investigations into her conduct?
What is this comment " Get off your soapbox and get dirty." ?
To whom are you speaking? Good grief!

Anonymous said...

8:16 AM You are telling us what we should or should not do? But you aren't even real. Just a hissy-fit in motion.

Anonymous said...

9:02 AM...

What you are being told is Put up or Shut up. You continue to complain about "illegal" activities of the former, you are an accomplice if you let it continue.

Anonymous said...

2:22 PM
How very childish of you ! This is not a school yard. One Judge has ruled on Morris already. Another one declared she had a ' nasty case '. Two more decisions are in abeyance. And YOU feel entitled to issue orders ?
On Evelyn's Blog? Please. It is past time that you branch out on your own. Spend your own money and hot rhetoric on your own causes

Anonymous said...

Yes !! He/she obviously has too much idle time, knows quite a bit about Aurora & loves fighting. How much could a Blog cost? If Evelyn can manage one with all she has to do, surely this character can give it a shot.